Jennifer Hudson Is Frustrated At Pressure To Jump the Broom: ‘Everyone should just chill out!’

Jennifer Hudson is giving us good hair and face on the newest issue of Essence magazine. The 32-year-old Chicago native has a whirlwind year.Recently, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, appeared on NBC’s TV show Smash and can be seen in the Christmas film Black Nativity with Angela Bassett and Forrest Whitaker, in theaters now.In the issue, the Oscar winner talks about the challenges of portraying Winnie Mandela, her upcoming nuptials to David Otunga and being confident in who she is. Peep the excerpts below.

On portraying Winnie Mandela: 

I was so nervous about doing a good job that I started working on the accent a couple of months before I even got there. So much was done to suppress Winnie’s voice, to keep her quiet. Winnie’s story needed to be told.

On if there’s a wedding date in place:

Yes, there was a date set, and that date has come around again every year. In fact, the date may keep rolling around…when I’m ready to be married, I will be married. It’s that simple. Everyone should just chill. Our relationship is very strong. We’re both huge family people, and I’m only going to get married once. So I’m not rushing into anything.

 On being clear about where she is in life:

I spent my twenties figuring out what I wanted to do, and trying everything. But by 30, my foundation was set. I became confident and clear about the path I wanted to take…Now I’ve really settled into myself. And I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.

The January issue is available now. [Essence, Instagram]

–@misstiffmills